Steve Jobs' keynote presentation is always the most exciting part of any Macworld Expo, and this year's Expo in San Francisco is no exception. Apple has once again come out in full-force with an amazing array of new product announcements that should restore faith in even the most skeptical and jaded of Mac fans. Although very little game-related information was released, the new hardware alone should reassure gamers that Apple is very serious about speed, speed and more speed in the future.

Everyone is wondering about Mac OS X, so Steve tackled this next-generation OS first. Supposedly Apple has carefully read all of the feedback users have sent in about the public beta (over 75k comments!), and have made several changes and additions in response. What's most important here is that 400 developers have committed to supporting Mac OS X. Alias|Wavefront was on hand to demo Maya for Mac OS X, an industry-standard 3D modeling and animation package. Mac OS X will ship on March 24, 2001 for $129, and will be bundled on all Apple hardware as of the next Expo in New York, this July.

Apple's new Power Mac G4 series takes the supercomputer even further. They have finally broken the 500 MHz speed barrier, now offering four different configurations: 466, 533, 667 and 733 MHz. All models now sport a spiffy 133 MHz system bus, which will allow the machines to push information even faster than the previous models' 100 MHz bus. Naturally, the faster bus speed makes this a perfect time for Apple to debut 4x AGP (which supports write-combined operations) for much faster graphics performance, and guess who else is coming to the party...NVIDIA! All of the new Power Mac G4s now feature NVIDIA GeForce MX 2 graphics cards, with the exception of the entry-level G4, which strangely still features an ATI Rage 128 Pro, rather than an ATI Radeon. In addition, Apple has increased the speed of the PCI bus, and has added another PCI slot for a total of 5 slots! Also new to the series is a new type of drive that can read both CDs and DVDs and can also write CD-R and CD-RW media, so CD burning is now standard on all Power Mac G4 models. Even more exciting is that the high-end 733 MHz G4 can also burn DVD discs that can be played back in any DVD player, a true revolution in home video production.

This year, in addition to the usual new hardware products, Apple has debuted several new applications that they feel will make Macintosh the hub of the digital revolution.

With iTunes, Apple makes its debut into the world of MP3s. Apple has acquired SoundJam from Casady & Greene--along with its lead programmer--and has produced an integrated application that lets you rip music from CDs and encode it into MP3 format, organize your music library, playback songs with visualization plug-ins such as G-Force, and even burn CDs. Best of all--it's freeware, and will be available for download sometime today!

Next up is iDVD, a great little program for making your own DVD discs. Just drag movies into iDVD and it makes the menus for you, complete with several different themes and the ability to create your own. iDVD uses the Velocity Engine in the PowerPC G4 chip to accelerate MPEG-2 encoding--typical software MPEG-2 encoding takes 25x the length of the content to encode (so a one hour movie would take 25 hours to encode!), but iDVD has it down to 2x (encode a one hour movie in two hours!). iDVD is bundled with the only PowerMac G4 that can burn DVDs--the 733 MHz model. Apple is also selling DVD-R media for $10 each or 5 for $49.95, which is quite inexpensive (compared to DVD-RAM media, which typically sells for about $30 per cartridge and can only be used in DVD-RAM drives).

For professionals, Apple has announced DVD Studio Pro, a sister product to Final Cut Pro that will sell for $995. DVD Studio Pro is a high-end DVD mastering application. iDVD is to DVD Studio Pro as iMovie is to Final Cut Pro. Not much else was mentioned about this new product, except that it will ship by the end of January.

When it comes to Macworld Expo keynotes, Steve likes to save the best for last. His famous line, "oh, and one more thing" echoed today to an ecstatic crowd who were eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new PowerBook that has been rumored for so long. At last, here it is, the Titanium PowerBook G4, Apple's most stunning achievement in portable computer design, and perhaps even its most stunning achievement ever. Code-named "Mercury", the new PowerBook is the first to sport a G4 processor. It's one inch thick, weighs 5.3 pounds, and it's made of titanium--stronger than metal and lighter than aluminum! If you're not drooling yet, check out the slot-loading DVD and 15.2" wide-screen display! Steve showed a comparison of Sony's high-end VAIO (considered to be the state-of-the-art in notebook computers) and Apple's entry-level PowerBook G4; the G4 costs $50 more and beats the VAIO on every count, offering a DVD-drive where the VAIO doesn't even have a CD-ROM, a 15.2" wide-screen display vs. a regular 12" LCD, a G4 running at 400 MHz that easily outperforms the 600 MHz Pentium III found in the VAIO, and much more. The new PowerBook G4 features 128 or 256 MB of RAM, and 10 or 20 GB of storage, ringing in at the same prices as the previous models, and you can get your hands on one by the end of this month!

Stay tuned for more exciting news from the Macworld Expo San Francisco 2001 show floor!

The Hyperion web site has been updated with a very brief message for those of you who are eager to play this classic shooter, recently ported to the Mac OS. Previously there was some doubt as to how the game would be distributed, but it appears that problem has been solved. As the page says:

The wait is over! Shogo MAD for Macintosh is now shipping to dealers worldwide.

To further clarify the relationship between Ron Dimant's PC development house Ritual and the newly-formed Mumbo Jumbo, PR guru Jason Whong sent out this press release which explains the situation. It sounds as if Ritual is going full-bore into Myth III, dedicating some of their staff and their lead level designer to this new company. Here's an excerpt:

Ritual Entertainment announced today that itwill split into two companies, thereby forming a new game company calledMumbo Jumbo. Ritual Entertainment will continue to deliver ground breaking3D games for the PC and future platforms. Mumbo Jumbo, the new developerheaded by Mark Dochtermann and Ron Dimant, will focus on innovative contentfor PC, Macintosh and console platforms. Previously Dochtermann served asPresident and Technical Director for Ritual Entertainment and Dimant servedas CEO for Ritual Entertainment.

Ritual Entertainment was formed in 1996 by five employees that departed 3DRealms Entertainment. Ritual has since delivered Quake Mission Pack #1:Scourge of Armagon, Sin, Wages of Sin, Heavy Metal: FAKK2 and most recentlyBlair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale. Ritual has received manyaccolades for the innovative use of interactivity in its titles.Information about the "Ritual" life style can be found at www.ritual.com andits fan site www.ritualistic.com. Ritual Entertainment is presently workingon an unannounced title for Electronic Arts.

"We believe that this split will allow us to continue our focus on the typesof games for which we have become famous," said Robert Atkins, President ofRitual Entertainment. "Ritual has always developed innovative content andwe do not see this changing for the foreseeable future. As companies wewill stand together to achieve our goals and deliver top quality titles forall game platforms."

Mumbo Jumbo's first title will be Myth III: The Wolf Age, a real-timestrategy game (RTS) to be published by Gathering of Developers. Myth III isthe third installment in the critically-acclaimed and highly-successful Mythgame franchise created by Bungie Software. Mumbo Jumbo's first developmentstudio is located in Irvine CA, with locations in Dallas TX and London UKplanned within the next 12 months. In addition to original gamedevelopment, Mumbo Jumbo has a strong Macintosh development team and ispresently converting Baldur's Gate II, Icewind Dale, Sacrifice, Giants:Citizen Kabuto and other AAA titles for Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X for its sistercompany MacPlay.

All game platforms? We like the sound of that. For an in-depth look at Mumbo Jumbo, be sure and read our interview with this future mover and shaker on the Mac gaming scene.
Ritual EntertainmentMumbo Jumbo on Myth III

We've received word from the show floor that Creative Labs is showing, but not shipping, their Sound Blaster Live! cards for the Mac OS. Supposedly some last-minute bugs in the software that ships with this card were discovered, and this will delay the actual ship date by several weeks.

Creative Labs assured us that the card is "95% there," with printed boxes, manuals and etc. ready to go. One item that may be of interest to gamers: The card ships with a full version of Aspyr's Deus Ex, presumably supporting EAX (positional audio).

The card itself is available for pre-order at the expo for $99.00, and will be in stores for $149.00 in the next month or so. System specs for the cards include a PowerMac 7200 or later, 64 MB of RAM and Mac OS 8.6. For more details on this amazing audio device, be sure and check out our preview.

XLR8YourMac has posted a detailed FAQ and picture of the GeForce2 MX that were provided by nVidia PR guru, Brian Burke. If his name sounds familiar, yes, he did formerly work for 3dfx. The FAQ covers some general questions about the GeForce2 MX that is included in the new Power Mac G4s, as well as API, DVD, and MacOS X support. Here is a snippet from the FAQ:

Question: Do you plan to continue to support Apple products with your future GPUs? Answer: Yes. NVIDIA is committed to the Apple market, and we believe that this is the first step in a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

Question: What Macintosh - APIs or Mac specific applications will be supported/accelerated by your drivers?

Answer: For desktop and 2D, QuickDraw is accelerated. For video and multimedia, QuickTime will be accelerated. For 3D RAVE and Apple OpenGL will be accelerated.

Although the release of a Macintosh version of the GeForce2 MX was expected by many people, this development is still very exciting. NVIDIA is a solid and stable company and seems to be commited to bringing their future products to the Macintosh.
MWSF: Keynote CoverageGeForce2 MX FAQ at XLR8YourMac

Charting a new course in the nearly-nonexistent genre of sports games on the Mac OS, Aspyr Media will publish Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 to the Mac OS, a PlayStation and PC title which features tons of realtime 3D skating action. This Activision game has been Westlake Interactive's "Rad" project for quite some time, but now the secret is out. There is no projected release date for this title. Here is an excerpt from the Aspyr Newsletter:

Strap on your helmet and get ready to get some major air, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 for the Mac is currently in conversion, to be released later this year. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 is the recent PC release from Activision, developed by Nersoft and Grey Matter.

The radical dudes at Westlake Interactive have been crackin' code and doing a little "research." Mark Adams, President of Westlake, recently boasted a 600,000 score, which is chicken feed to the pros here at Aspyr.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 is the ultimate extreme sport experience, with a hip hop and punk soundtrack. Go head-to-head on terrain that would make even a novice skater drool. Skate as the legendary Tony Hawk, one of 12 other pro skaters or create your own pro from scratch. Original levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater are included in the single-player mode and the multiplayer play modes include single-player career and free skate modes as well as 2-player modes such as trick attack, graffitti, tag and horse.

"Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 is the most addictive fast-action game. Your cool factor will double as you begin to using words like ollie, bennihana, boneless and more," says Michael Rogers, President of Aspyr.

Our report from the show floor continues with news from MacSoft, one of the oldest and most successful Mac games publishers. They were showing Driver and Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear of course, as well as the Hasbro updating of Pong and Monopoly Casino.

They also had a new title to announce: MacSoft will be publishing the Mac OS version of Master of Orion III, a much-anticipated sequel to this space exploration and conquest series. While a Mac OS version of this game has been considered a good possibility for quite some time, this is confirmation of its existence, and good news for strategy gamers. MOO3 itself isn't due until very late this year.

MacSoft also released figures on sales, claiming a 30% increase and (according to their data) capturing 1/3 of all Mac game sales, a strong justification to their move to publish more mainstream and casual gaming titles. Releases such as Monopoly, Jeopardy and Risk II have wide appeal and low porting cost, and obviously this is paying off for MacSoft.

Future titles to be published include Pong and Centipede, 3D updates of the Atari classics; both should be out within a month or two. Stay tuned to IMG for more news from the show floor!

When GraphSim lost the rights to the Baldur's Gate sequel and expansion pack to MacPlay, many were worried Mac gaming mainstay would fall on hard times. However, they have found a winning strategy to get back up there with the 'big dogs,' as they have become the Mac publishers for Volition and THQ's upcoming titles Summoner and Red Faction.

We have covered both titles exhaustively here on IMG, so we won't bore you with the details, but click the links below for more information. Tuncer Deniz from IMG spoke with Mark Allender from Volition, the man behind the Mac port of Summoner and a participant in our Forums; he said that Mac Summoner is due in March, and will be a simultaneous release with the PC. Mac Summoner will of course be networkable with the PC version, and should be an amazing addition to our huge crop of RPG titles.

GraphSim will publish the Mac version of Red Faction when it is complete this Summer, and this is also expected to be a simultaneous release for Mac, PC and PS2. For more information, follow the links below; the GraphSim web site has not yet been updated.

We've just received a press release posted by Mumbo Jumbo, the just-formed team behind Gathering of Developers' latest project, Myth III: The Wolf's Age. Along with this we also received two screen shots supposedly of polygonal character models from the game itself, although these are unsourced and are NOT official releases from Mumbo Jumbo.

One of the new features to be included in this sequel are polygonal character models, replacing the 2D bitmaps that were used in the previous two games. Although true 3D characters are common in current games, at the time of the original development of Myth and Myth II, video hardware limitations and RAM prices seemed to preclude this development. In any case, be sure and check out this screen shot and the one linked at Bungie Sightings from Evil Avatar for possible -- not official -- glimpse of the future. Myth III is on an extremely aggressive development timetable, and will be due in November 2001.

This information is already presented in our coverage of the keynote, but we thought you might be interested in reading the official NVIDIA press release about the inclusion of the GeForce 2 MX chipset in Apple's just-announced revision of the PowerMac G4 line. This came as little surprise to the IMG staff, as we have known about this development for quite some time, but it is thrilling news nevertheless. Without further ado, here is NVIDIA's spin on the situation:

"NVIDIA and Apple have worked together to provide customers with the mostadvanced visual computing and multimedia experience in the world," statedJen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO at NVIDIA. "NVIDIA's ultimate goal is tobe the leading GPU provider for all devices and we are delighted to now beserving the Apple community."

"The new Power Mac G4 is a real powerhouse for our pro customers," saidPhilip Schiller, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Thecombination of fast G4 processors, a new speedier system architecture, andblazing NVIDIA GeForce2 graphics makes for the fastest Macintosh ever made."

Based on the award-winning GeForce2 architecture, the GeForce2 MX GPU powersrazor-sharp, crystal-clear 2D graphics, even at extreme resolutions as highas 2048 x 1536, in 32-bit color on a primary display screen. The GeForce2 MXGPU also offers advanced 3D performance by delivering over 25 millionsustained triangles per second and 800 million texels per second.

The GeForce2 MX GPU is delivered on a graphics card that supports the newAGP 4X slot in the Power Mac G4 line and includes a large 32MB SDRAM framebuffer to store large textures in games or professional applications. Thecard supports both the Apple Display Connector (ADC) for easy connection toApple's award winning line of monitors as well as the VGA connector forbroad compatibility.

GeForce2 MX graphics will come standard on models of Apple's new Power MacG4, which were introduced today.

For more information, see our article on the keynote. Note that this choice may be a slightly controversial one, for gamers -- the GeForce 2 MX is actually a mid- to low-end card, and may be outperformed by the ATI Radeon in some respects; however the Radeon is still a BTO option at the Apple store, so no worries there. Stay tuned for more details.
NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX In-DepthNVIDIANVIDIA

If the names BitBoys and Glaze 3D don't instantly ring a bell, don't worry -- they barely registered on the PC world's radar screen either. Thus once-promising startup, which claimed to have plans for a revolutionary 3D chip which would be Mac-compatible, seems to have run out of steam, so to speak, or more precisely -- vapor. The BitBoys became legendary purveyors of vaporware in their time, claiming at one point to have a chip which would run Quake 3 Arena at 300 fps, while the competition at that time could barely make 150. IMG and other Mac news sources were quite thirilled at the time that the Glaze 3D chip was announced, as it was marketed as Mac OS-compatible, at a time when ATI was the sole supplier of 3D chips for the Mac OS.

A report on Thresh's Firing Squad seems to suggest that the Glaze 3D chip is now officially dead. Here's an excerpt:

Firingsquad's sister site Gamers.com got the latest scoop on just what those Bitboys have been up to lately. So, just where is this Glaze 3D wonder-card that was hyped to be able to run Quake3 at 300 fps? Nowhere. The Glaze 3D has been canned.

The technology, however, is still in development and will be shown to the public when there is actually something to show.

Bitboys' primary focus now is on its "Xtreme Bandwidth Architecture." Few details are known about it, and Bitboys is trying to prove it has learned from the past by not talking. "We've just shut down the PR machine. We're not talking to anyone," Long says, but did add that the chip based on XBA is close to silicon [i.e., production]. "Once that happens, we'll start talking."

What separates an XBA-enabled chip from those on the market today? "[With current chips], gamers have to make constant compromises, [such as] lower resolutions and lower texture detail," Long says. An XBA-enabled chip will let players run their games with at a high resolution with at least 75-100 frames per second, he adds. "[id Software's John] Carmack has seen it. id is behind [XBA]."

We're all eager to see what this XBA technology can really do, since most of our current video cards are bottlenecked by bandwidth. Hopefully the Bitboys can stay on track for a public demo of XBA late in the first quarter/early second quarter this year.

The article goes on to note that they contacted John Carmack, who replied that he never saw any demos of XBA, and does not endorse their product.

With the increasing consolidation and razor-thin profit margins of the 3D card industry, the disappearance of such small start-ups was to be expected. Perhaps the XBA technology will make it into the next-generation consoles to come.

MacGameFiles.com has posted the Mac version (1.0.4) of the much-awaited Diablo II demo. It's a massive download (some 123.5 MB), but definitely worth the time spent to try out this fantastic game.

For those unfamiliar with the plot of the game, here's a quick blurb from MacGameFiles:

Since the Beginning of Time the forces of Order and Chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now come to the Mortal Realm... And neither Man, Demon, nor Angel will be left unscathed...

After possessing the body of the hero who defeated him, Diablo resumes his nefarious scheme to shackle humanity into unholy slavery by joining forces with the other Prime Evils, Mephisto and Baal. Only you will be able to determine the outcome of this final encounter...

In Diablo II, return to a world of dark fantasy. As one of five distinct character types, explore the world of Diablo II -- journey across distant lands, fight new villains, discover new treasures and uncover ancient mysteries, all in the quest to stop the Lord of Terror, once and for all...

If you need more information about this title before committing to such a huge download, be sure and read through our in-depth review. And we have a sneaky suspicion that those of you challenged in the bandwidth department will be able to buy a MGF CD in the near future with the demo pre-downloaded for you.

In a move that is sure to bolster gamers' confidence in the newly-revitalized MacPlay brand name, the company announced today that Diane Zammit would become the president of this game porting and publishing company. The MacPlay name was acquired by Ron Dimant's startup United Developers earlier this Summer, which was followed by the announcement of an extremely aggressive and exciting release schedule which includes such A-list titles as Baldur's Gate II, Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Starfleet Command II.

Here are excerpts from the press release:

MacPlay was pleased to announce today theappointment of Diane Zammit as its new President. Zammit is the latestaddition to the high caliber MacPlay team that has been created over thepast few months.

Previously, Zammit had spent the past two years as Manager of WorldwideThird Party Distribution for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). In that role, Zammitguided and assisted key Macintosh developers with strategic marketing,distribution, and channel initiatives.

Prior to joining Apple, Zammit was paramount to the success of the formerMacPlay (the dedicated Macintosh division of Interplay Entertainment Corp.(NASDAQ:IPLY)), and, as Director of Marketing, launched best sellingMacintosh titles such as Descent, Virtual Pool, Conquest of the New World,Star Trek Star Fleet Academy and Fallout.

"Returning to MacPlay as President is a dream come true," said Zammit."Strong market conditions preceded MacPlay's resurrection, and now is theperfect time to return." MacPlay's CEO, Ron Dimant, is equally pleased. "Weare so fortunate to have Diane joining us," a delighted Dimant enthused."This is the only role that would convince Diane to leave Apple."

Formerly the preeminent force in the Macintosh games industry, the MacPlaybrand returned to the platform in the Fall of 2000. The goal of theresurrected MacPlay is to redefine the modern Macintosh gaming experience bymarrying high profile game content to such core Apple technologies as Mac OSX.

While information was leaked about it last week, today brings the official announcement of Myth III: The Wolf Age. The third in the Myth series is actually a prequel to the other two, and will have many enhancements to the engine. Programmer Andrew Meggs has been revealed as the lead on this project for the newly-founded company, Mumbo Jumbo. Mac gamers should be familiar with him for his work on another Gathering of Developers title, FAKK2.

Myth III: The Wolf Age Announced

Gathering of Developers to Publish Prequel to Critically-Acclaimed Myth Franchise

Newly-formed Game Development Studio, Mumbo Jumbo, to Develop Game

Dallas, TX, January 09, 2001 -- Newly-formed game developer Mumbo Jumbo and developer-driven computer and video game publisher Gathering of Developers (www.godgames.com) today announced the production of real-time strategygame (RTS) Myth III: The Wolf Age, the third installment in thecritically-acclaimed and highly-successful Myth PC game franchise. Mumbo Jumbo, based in IrvineCA, is headed by Mark Dochtermann and Ron Dimant, formerly of RitualEntertainment. Gathering of Developers' parent company, Take Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO) acquired the Myth property from its creator, Bungie Software, in May 2000. Myth III: The Wolf Age, will be released worldwide for the Mac and PC in November 2001.

"The Myth games are legendary in the world of RTS computer games," saidMike Wilson, CEO of Gathering. "This franchise has drawn in countless gamersand Mumbo Jumbo's Myth III: The Wolf Age will continue that legacy."

The Myth franchise has received industry accolades and developed adedicated consumer following since the release of Myth: The Fallen Lords in November 1997. Since then, the game, and its sequel, Myth II: Soulblighter, hasspawned gigabytes of game add-ons, volumes of fan fiction and lyric art, as well asa rare comic book series. Links to many web-based resources for the seriesare available online at Bungie.net.

"The teams at Gathering and Mumbo Jumbo have a real appreciation for whatmade the first two Myth games great," said Alex Seropian, Bungie Software co-founder. "We're confident that their knowledge and experience will make Myth III a title that satisfies existing Myth fans and brings legions ofnew gamers into the fold."

Myth III: The Wolf Age is a prequel to Bungie?s original Myth games. Setten centuries prior to Myth: The Fallen Lords, the game will focus on theexploits of Connacht, the first emperor of human lands, who saved mankind from thevile Myrkridia and Trow races.

The game will set new standards for 3D RTS games through the use of true 3D characters, procedural foliage, deformable terrain, innovative networkgames, a powerful roster of units and an engrossing story.

"The Myth franchise is known for innovative content and gameplay. Myth III will continue this tradition and also support the latest 3D technologies available for Windows, Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X," said Mumbo Jumbo PresidentMark Dochtermann.

Mumbo Jumbo's key developers include Scott Campbell, Patrick Hook, andAndrew Meggs. Campbell, Myth III: The Wolf Age's lead designer, was also lead designer for the award winning RPG, Fallout. Meggs, a veteran of cross-platform development, is the game's lead programmer. Lead leveldesigner Patrick Hook has created levels for a number of Ritual Entertainmentproducts, including Sin and Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2. Completing the team as executive producer is former Apple partnership manager Michael Donges, who was instrumental in bringing top PC titles to the Macintosh platform.

Myth III should be out this November for Mac and PC. Be sure to check out the IMG interview covering the title to be posted later today.
Gathering of Developers

Gathering of Developers have released a PR today, covering their impressive lineup of games for the Mac in 2001. Foremost among these is the annoucement of Myth III: The Wolf Age, which is being developed by Mumbo Jumbo and should be out in November. Also on this very diverse plate is Oni, everyone's anticipated full-contact action game out this month; Fly! II, a sequel to their very popular flight sim; Tropico, the new dictator-sim to be released this Spring; and Shadowbane, the first major MMORPG coming to the Mac this Summer. Here is the PR in full with more info:

Dallas, TX, January 9, 2001 – Developer-driven computer and video game publisher Gathering of Developers (www.godgames.com) is continuing its support of the Macintosh in 2001 with the release of several triple A titles for the system, including Myth III: The Wolf Age, the third installment in the critically-acclaimed and highly-successful Myth PC game franchise. Gathering's Mac line-up also includes Oni, the highly-anticipated third-person action/adventure title; Tropico, a 3D building, strategy/simulation game; FLY! II, the sequel to the technologically advanced general aviation simulation FLY!; and Shadowbane, a massively multiplayer, role-playing and large-scale strategy game. 4x4 EVO and Oni currently support Mac OS X Public Beta and will support Mac OS X. Myth III: The Wolf Age, Tropico and FLY! II will also support Mac OS X in early 2001. All games will be distributed by Take Two Interactive.

"The Mac gaming community continues to be a priority market for Gathering," said Harry Miller, president and co-founder of Gathering of Developers. "We look forward to supplying quality content to Mac users and to developing for Apple's forthcoming release of Mac OS X."

"With blazingly fast hardware and an incredibly powerful graphics engine, the Mac is a great platform for hard-core and casual gamers alike," said Clent Richardson, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. "Gathering of Developers has delivered outstanding games to the Mac since the company's inception in 1998, and we look forward to their developments for Mac OS X."

Gathering of Developers' 2001 Mac Line-up:

Myth III: The Wolf Age

Newly formed game developer Mumbo Jumbo is creating Myth III: The Wolf Age, a prequel to Bungie Software1s original Myth games. Set ten centuries prior to Myth: The Fallen Lords, the game will focus on the exploits of Connacht, the first emperor of human lands, who saved mankind from the vile Myrkridia and Trow races. The game will set new standards for 3D real-time strategy games through the use of true 3D characters, procedural foliage, deformable terrain, innovative network games, a powerful roster of units and an engrossing story. Myth III: The Wolf Age will be released in November.

Oni

Oni is a third-person 3D action/adventure game developed by Bungie Software. Oni tells the story of Konoko, an elite cop and one-woman SWAT team, whose approach to fighting crime is a devastating combination of rational calculation and fighting fury. She is also a woman divided and haunted by oni ("ghosts'" or "demons" in Japanese). Oni seamlessly blends hand-to-hand martial arts combat and gunplay into a single, new full contact 3D-action hybrid. Oni will be available later this month.

FLY! II

Terminal Reality1s FLY! II is the sequel to the technologically advanced general aviation simulation FLY! FLY! II expands upon FLY!'s top features and includes new and expanded 3D models, aircraft, scenery, new elevation scenes and higher resolution images. Like its predecessor, FLY! II will feature a global flight area, worldwide digital elevation terrain model, true satellite terrain imagery, and ultra-realistic cockpit and avionics systems, detailed to each aircraft's original configuration. FLY! II will also include more points of interest, improved visual effects, dynamic environments and thorough tutorials, instructions and assistance for beginners. FLY! II will land in stores in March.

Tropico

PopTop Software's Tropico is a 3D building strategy/simulation game, coupled with Latin American political intrigue. In Tropico, players take on the role of a newly instated dictator of a remote Caribbean island and are challenged to build a path of progress for a nation mired in poverty, civil unrest and infighting. Based on their economic vision, gamers build hotels, mines, factories, and over 100 other structures. Diplomacy and politics will factor heavily in Tropico, as players must pacify various internal factions and external threats. If the island1s growth is well planned, the player will have plenty of money to buy the peoples1 favor and ensure prosperity. If growth is poorly planned and the economy falters, the population may revolt, forcing the player to institute martial law. Tropico will be released in April.

Shadowbane

Wolfpack Studios' Shadowbane is a massively multiplayer game designed to allow up to tens of thousands of gamers to gather online and play simultaneously. Shadowbane's persistent, immersive world combines role-playing and large-scale strategy gameplay. In Shadowbane, players are challenged to carve out their destiny in a world blanketed by political unrest and torn apart by storms, disease, starvation and an endless war. Brutal warlords have assumed control of the land and a Dark Age has descended upon mankind. Shadowbane's design adds a large-scale warfare system to the completely functional role-playing game, allowing players to unite, form armies, build kingdoms and conquer virtual territories. This twist gives rise to a new realm of gameplay - guild politics and siege warfare. Shadowbane will be released this summer.